Reasons humbly offer'd to the honourable the Commons of England assembled in Parliament, shewing the great loss that accrues to their Majesties in their revenue, and their subjects both at home and in their plantations abroad, by the African Company's ingrossing the sole trade of Africa ...

REASONS Humbly Offer'd To the Honourable the Commons of England Assem∣bled in Parliament, shewing the great Loss that Accrues to their Majesties in their Revenue, and their Subjects both at Home and in their Planta∣tions Abroad, by the African Company's Ingrossing the Sole Trade of Africa, confining it to the Narrow Joynt Stock of little more than One Hundred Thousand Pounds, excluding all other their Majesty's Subjects both at Home and Abroad, to their Great Detriment and Threatned Ruine.

I. FIrst, their Majesty's Island of Jamaica being very large, and not a Twentieth Part Planted, requires a greater Supply of Negroes, than the African Com∣pany have furnished them with, and for those they bring they exact exor∣bitant and intollerable Rates, which tends to the Ruine of the Inhabitants and Planters of the said Island.

II. It was once agreed before the King and Council, towards the latter end of King Charles the Second, That the Company should furnish the Island of Jamaica with Three Thousand Negroes per Annum at 17 l. 2 s. 6 d. per Head; which, as we are informed, was in pursuance to what they were oblig'd upon obtaining their Char∣ter, though particular Merchants offer'd at the same time to do it for 14 l.; but the King being desirous to please the Company, obliged the People to agree with the said Company at 17 l. 2 s. 6 d; though presently after, and ever since they were abused in Both; for they had not from the Company the Quantities promi∣sed, and the Company exacted what Rates they pleased, even to 22 l; and since to greater Prices; and they have 10 per Cent per Annum Interest after six Months, for all that do not pay in their time.

III. Hereby the Increase of Their Majesties Revenue is extraordinarily obstructed, since if the Planters were supply'd with Negroes suitable to their occasions, whereas they now produce one Tun of Sugar, they would make four Tuns; and Indigo, Cotton Wool, Ginger, &c. in proportion, and each Tunn or four Hogsheads of Sugar, pays Their Majesties for Duty 6 l.

IV. Sugar, Indigo, Cotton-Wool, &c. being produced by the strength of Negroes, if the Island be slenderly supplied, or at dear Rates (which must be expected when none sells but the Company) then will the said Comodities cost so dear that England cannot hold the Market with the French, Dutch, and Portuguese.

V. Other Foreign Nations may Trade freely on the Coast of Africa, as Brandenburg∣hers, Danes, French, Portuguese, &c. but if English-Men (not of the Company) be there getting Negroes or Gold in Exchange for our Woollen Manufactures, the Com∣pany have heretofore procured Men of War, and have given Commissions to their own Ships to Seize upon, bring into Port, Condemn and Sell their Ships and Goods to the Company's Use.

VI. Since the Trade of Africa hath been manag'd by this Company, and confin'd to the narrow Joint-Stock of 100000 l. there is but one Buyer of such of our Woollen Manu∣factures of Says, Perpetuanoes, Cloth, &c. as are exported to those vast Countries, to the great damage of the Makers thereof in particular, and of the Nation in general.

They buying such Goods as are proper for that part of the World, almost at their own Prices, and no greater Quantities than they can vend at excessive Rates; whereas, were the Trade Free, their would be a great number of Buyers, the Goods would sell dearer at home, and greater Quantities exported and vended abroad: So that by the limiting that Trade Their Majesties Customs are diminish'd, our Woollen Manufactures discou∣rag'd, the Exportation thereof much lessened, and many Families who subsist thereby, reduced to Extremity and Want.

VII. It may be considered, whereas the Planters of Jamaica have laid out Twenty times more than the said Company's Stock in Setling the said Island, and that it is by their Industry, Labour, and Pains brought to what it now is, and that it hath been and will be Kept, Maintained, and Defended against all their Majesty's Ene∣mies by their Majesty's Subjects there, and not by the Assistance of the African Com∣pany. It may be also considered, That the said Company neither by their Va∣lour, Council, nor Estates, have added any thing to the Increase, Support, and Maintenance of any of their Majesty's Dominions. How Grievous then it must be, that this Company would force their Fellow-Subjects to give them 30, 35, and 40 per Cent upon their whole Cargo, only for their Permission to Buy Negroes in A∣frica, for their own Use, though their Ships so Trading perhaps do not come with∣in several Hundred Leagues of any of the Company's Factories; which Dear-Bought-Permissions have been but lately obtain'd, and that with Difficulty; and yet this Company must have so much, or else it hath hitherto been the Custom of the said Company to Seize the said Ships as aforesaid, to the Ruine of abundance of Families.

VIII. And the more effectually to Oppress their MAJESTY's Subjects here, who do Make and Sell the Woollen Manufactures proper for that Trade, as Per∣petuanoes, Sayes, &c. this Company doth oblige those who do give them 30 and 40 per Cent for their Liberty of Trade, to take their Cargoes from the said Company, so that still there is but One Buyer, by which means the Woollen Ma∣nufactures are lessened in their Value.

IX. The Abuse put upon Masters, Owners of Ships, and Seamen, are innumerable, for they having so great a Part of the World shar'd out to themselves by their Patent, a great many Ships, though never so unwillingly, must enter their Service, or Rot in the Harbours; and if they or their Seamen do carry any small Adventure, at their Return they are certainly Ruin'd; first tying them up to intollerable Conditi∣ons by their Charter-Party, and then stop all their Fraight; and have always a stand∣ing Committee to manage their Law-Suits, and their whole Stock to Wage War a∣gainst the Poor Master, who if he will not be kept out of his Fraight four, five, or six Years, must come in an Humble Manner to Submit to the Mercy of their Court, for such a Mulct as they shall be pleased to set upon him; which is gene∣rally to lose the Value of his Goods, and over and above, to pay 100 l. or more, according to their own Will and Pleasure; or if he will come to a Reference, he must choose for his Arbitrators two of their own Committee, whereby they make them∣selves Judges in their own Case.

X. Lastly, If their Majesty's Subjects in the Sugar-Plantations, if those here in Eng∣land that do make and are concern'd in the Woollen Manufacture, if the Merchants, Owners of Ships, Masters, and Seamen are so Used by this Company when only Supported by a Patent, what Oppressions may they not expect when they are Sup∣ported by a Law?

For Redress of the aforegoing Mischiefs, and Prevention thereof for the future, We Humbly Propose as an Expedient to this Honourable House, That the Trade of Africa may be left Open and Free, or under such a Regulation that any of their Ma∣jesty's Subjects may at any time be admitted to Trade in some sort like the Turky Company, with their Stocks apart; so will the Woollen Manufactures be advanced in their Price, and their Vent encreased, Merchants, Planters, and Owners of Ships incouraged, and their Majesty's Customs much Augmented.

Notes

• At times the Company have had fourteen of the King's Men of War cruising on the Coast of Africa, and off the Islands, to take all Eng∣lish Merchant-Men who had not their Per∣mission.
• NB. Eeach 4th Rate costs lit∣tle less than a 1000 l. a Month.